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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · pass · spell · hide · scale · game · stick · club

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. club — for golf
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. club — a group
  9. game — a match
  10. spell — magic
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spell — a short time
  18. club — for dancing
  19. spell — letters
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hide — animal skin

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