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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pop — to visit
  5. file — a line of people
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bass — low music
  10. last — finally
  11. chip — to eat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a document
  14. last — to go on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. last — final
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. file — a tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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