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: clip · land · craft · ruler · content · safe · rule · straw

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — for paper
  13. land — ground
  14. craft — boats
  15. rule — government
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — a country
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rule — a law

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