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 · suit · content · stem · clip · bass · staff · kid

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kid — child
  10. clip — for paper
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bass — low music
  19. content — the amount
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. clip — a video
  24. suit — to fit

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