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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. scale — in music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. board — to get on
  7. rash — a series
  8. bat — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — the season
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. board — a committee
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mouse — the animal
  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