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 124 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: mate · cap · ruler · kick · straw · saw · fall · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fall — the season
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — a hat
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rash — a series
  16. mate — to breed
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mate — a partner
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. kick — in football

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