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 · can · hide · mate · swing · firm · march · court

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — to be able to
  3. swing — to play on
  4. firm — steady
  5. mate — a friend
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of a king
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — the month
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. court — for sport
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. firm — a company
  19. march — music
  20. court — of law
  21. mate — to breed
  22. firm — decided
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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