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 120 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: can · cold · mug · key · scale · ruler · hand · pound

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. key — for a lock
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mug — a cup
  9. key — the most important part
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — an illness
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — to rob
  18. scale — in music
  19. hand — help
  20. mug — a face
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. key — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — size or range

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