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 · snap · saw · kid · wave · foot · mine · rock

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mine — for digging
  5. scale — in music
  6. rock — music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kid — to tease
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kid — child
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — belonging to me

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