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: ruler · current · rash · prune · hand · mouse · straw · cell

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — electric
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — hasty
  10. current — of water
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rash — a series
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — help
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. current — happening now
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — the fruit

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