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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. band — a music group
  4. ground — crushed
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. present — a gift
  8. ground — a position
  9. band — a ring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. present — there
  12. chip — for betting
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chip — to eat
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — the time now
  24. scale — size or range

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