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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. roll — a cake
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. squash — the sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — to tire
  15. roll — a list
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — on a roll

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