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: squash · can · ruler · stick · degree · lie · chest · game

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — to recline
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. degree — from a university
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. squash — the sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. squash — to crush

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