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: bank · lash · jam · scale · key · bass · cold · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bass — low music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bank — for money
  14. cold — an illness
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. scale — size or range
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. key — for a lock
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lash — to lash out

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