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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mine — for digging
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pop — soda
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pop — music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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