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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — a video
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — happy
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. clip — for paper

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