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: saw · cap · pound · clip · content · cue · scale · ruler

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cap — a hat
  3. scale — in music
  4. content — the amount
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cap — a lid
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cue — a hint
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — the tool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. scale — for weighing

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