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: straw · content · cold · ruler · perch · stand · key · bass

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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. bass — the instrument
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. content — happy
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. content — the amount
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cold — an illness
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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