ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · can · fine · file · ground · court · saw · bat

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. can — a tin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ground — crushed
  20. file — a document
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com