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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. band — a ring
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bass — low music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — in music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — for light
  15. date — the fruit
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — of law
  19. band — a music group
  20. club — for golf
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. club — a group

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