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 116 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 · land · spell · stick · fork · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spell — magic
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. land — a country
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fork — in a road
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spell — letters

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