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: cue · row · scale · safe · net · straw · cold · ruler

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cold — an illness
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. net — for catching
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — in sport
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. row — a line
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. net — after costs
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cue — for pool
  24. safe — out of danger

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