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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. drill — army training
  3. clip — a video
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pound — a weight
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. scale — in music
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pop — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rash — a series
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. foot — a measure
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. hand — in cards

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