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 · mouse · ruler · object · net · spring · scale · tear

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — of water
  5. object — to protest
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — a thing
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. spring — the season
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — an aim
  17. scale — in music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. net — after costs
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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