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: ruler · clip · wind · cell · mine · scale · bark · dip

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. clip — a video
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mine — for digging
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wind — moving air
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in music

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