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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. staff — a stick
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rock — music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a great time
  7. scale — in music
  8. staff — employees
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ball — a dance
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. staff — employees

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