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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. court — for sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bark — to shout
  9. court — of a king
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. face — part of the head
  16. court — of law
  17. bass — the fish
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — magic
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a tool
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. file — a document
  24. bass — low music

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