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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. clip — a video
  8. track — a song
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tube — a container
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. scale — in music
  13. track — a path
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. clip — to cut
  17. track — to keep track
  18. clip — for paper
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fork — in a road
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fork — to eat with

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