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 · plane · bass · root · court · band · drill · board

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bass — low music
  5. band — a music group
  6. scale — in music
  7. court — of law
  8. drill — army training
  9. court — for sport
  10. root — the cause
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. board — to get on
  14. drill — a practice
  15. court — of a king
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. drill — the tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. board — a committee
  21. root — of a word
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. band — a rubber band

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