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 116 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: straw · ruler · pound · chair · leaves · clip · pop · march

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. march — the month
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. march — music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pop — to visit
  14. clip — a video
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. march — the month
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pop — soda
  24. leaves — to go away

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