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: ruler · ground · staff · root · pop · scale · chest · arm

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. pop — soda
  2. ground — the earth
  3. scale — in music
  4. ground — a position
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — the cause
  8. chest — a box
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pop — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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