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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — size or range
  7. club — a group
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. last — to go on
  14. club — for golf
  15. scale — in music
  16. last — finally
  17. game — a match
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — final

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