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

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — size or range
  5. clip — a video
  6. mug — a cup
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — to rob
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mug — a face
  18. roll — a list
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. face — to confront
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wake — a trail

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