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 116 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: file · bay · season · mine · ruler · scale · pitcher · saw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. scale — in music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — for digging
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. file — a document
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — of the year

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