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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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 ring
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — for catching
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — a group
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. net — in sport
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. club — for golf
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a music group
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. club — for dancing
  18. row — a line
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rock — music
  22. content — the amount
  23. net — after costs
  24. row — to paddle

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