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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rash — a series
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. scale — size or range
  11. band — a ring
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. drill — army training
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rash — hasty
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ground — a position
  23. drill — a practice
  24. band — a music group

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