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 · pitcher · band · spring · dip · wax · suit · court

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. court — of a king
  7. spring — a coil
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. court — for sport
  13. spring — of water
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — in music
  19. band — a music group
  20. court — of law
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spring — the season

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