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: scale · pound · deal · clip · foot · season · vault · bore

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. season — of the year
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. clip — for paper
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. vault — a safe
  9. foot — a measure
  10. season — in sport
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. deal — to handle
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. clip — a video

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