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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. scale — in music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — a video
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. clip — to cut
  11. content — happy
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pass — to succeed
  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