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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. band — a music group
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. band — a ring
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wake — a trail
  16. spell — a short time
  17. root — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. root — of a word
  20. scale — in music
  21. root — the cause
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. bass — low music

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