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 · chest · board · calf · pitcher · fork · land · ground

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. board — to get on
  4. ground — a position
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chest — of your body
  8. scale — in music
  9. land — ground
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — a box
  15. land — to come down
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. land — a country
  20. board — a committee
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ground — crushed

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