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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a document
  6. ground — a position
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rest — a break
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a tool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. file — a line of people
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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