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: scale · degree · leaves · bound · season · clip · rule · squash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. squash — the sport
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. season — of the year
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — certain
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. clip — for paper
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. clip — to cut
  16. season — in sport
  17. rule — a law
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. degree — temperature
  22. scale — in music
  23. rule — government
  24. clip — a video

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