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: object · foot · clip · pound · rush · fine · ruler · can

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. rush — hurry
  4. object — an aim
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — all right
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. clip — for paper
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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