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 · bear · racket · mark · cell · chest · object · bore

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — to protest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mark — a trace
  15. object — an aim
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. object — a thing
  23. scale — in music
  24. chest — a box

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