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 · cell · leaves · spell · rest · key · mouse · degree

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rest — a break
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — a short time
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — from a university
  11. key — for a lock
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cell — a phone
  14. key — in music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. spell — letters

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