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: clip · kick · straw · ball · cap · fine · current · ruler

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. current — happening now
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. current — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — a hat
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kick — in football
  21. clip — a video
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. clip — for paper

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