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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bass — the fish
  3. scale — size or range
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — after costs
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. net — for catching
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. net — in sport
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bass — low music
  24. bat — for baseball

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