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: cell · root · season · bay · leaves · pitcher · saw · scale

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. scale — in music
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. root — the cause
  10. cell — a phone
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — size or range
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. root — of a plant
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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