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: nail · game · bat · bound · march · scale · pit · mug

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mug — a cup
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mug — a face
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. march — music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pit — a hole
  14. march — the month
  15. pit — in a race
  16. march — the month
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mug — to rob
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. scale — in music
  23. bound — obliged
  24. game — a match

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