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: bass · field · scale · rock · press · trunk · fork · staff

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. field — for sport
  7. press — to push
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. field — a subject
  10. press — newspapers
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fork — in a road
  18. field — farmland
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bass — low music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rock — music
  24. scale — size or range

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