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: lean · roll · kid · ruler · cell · staff · cap · pound

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lean — thin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. roll — a cake
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kid — to tease
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a lid

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