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: scale · hand · can · foot · dip · safe · rule · snap

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. foot — a measure
  3. can — a tin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. scale — in music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rule — government
  10. snap — to click
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hand — in cards
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — a law
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. dip — to sink
  24. safe — out of danger

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