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: foot · pound · ruler · rush · leaves · track · clip · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. clip — a video
  20. foot — a measure
  21. clip — to cut
  22. craft — a skill
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pound — a weight

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