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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fine — high quality
  3. firm — decided
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fine — all right
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. firm — a company
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bass — the fish
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. firm — steady
  21. scale — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bat — the animal

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