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: club · tube · plane · land · lie · coach · scale · mouse

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lie — to recline
  5. club — for dancing
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. scale — in music
  10. land — ground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — a tool
  22. land — a country
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mouse — for a computer

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