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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. craft — boats
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — to grow
  7. craft — a skill
  8. capital — money
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — in music
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. drill — army training
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. scale — size or range

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