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: scale · toast · mate · dip · field · ruler · ball · stock

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. scale — in music
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stock — shares
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mate — a partner
  14. field — a subject
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. field — for sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stock — goods
  22. field — farmland
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ruler — for measuring

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