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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · club · content · rest · pound · can

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pound — a weight
  7. club — for golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — a group
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — the amount
  18. can — to be able to

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