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

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — a video
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mate — a partner
  6. clip — to cut
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. track — a song
  11. mate — to breed
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — a path
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a word
  21. mate — a friend
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — to keep track

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