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: date · court · deal · straw · drill · leaves · ruler · clip

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. deal — to handle
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — to cut
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. court — of law
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. court — of a king
  23. date — the fruit
  24. court — for sport

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