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: rule · trunk · mine · ruler · mate · degree · cue · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mine — for digging
  5. degree — from a university
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cue — a hint
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mate — a partner
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rule — government
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. trunk — of a tree

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