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: land · scale · clip · net · ruler · wave · hide · march

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. scale — in music
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. land — to come down
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — for paper
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. land — ground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. clip — to cut
  19. scale — size or range
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. net — after costs
  23. land — a country
  24. hide — to keep secret

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