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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — bread
  5. chest — a box
  6. court — of law
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. court — of a king
  12. clip — a video
  13. club — for golf
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — for sport
  18. scale — size or range
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chest — of your body
  22. clip — for paper
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — for dancing

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