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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bore — to drill
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. swing — to play on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. swing — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cold — an illness
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bore — to tire
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bass — the fish
  16. file — a document
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. swing — in golf
  23. file — a tool
  24. cold — the Cold War

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