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 · staff · roll · leaves · field · spring · foot · squash

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. field — for sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — a list
  9. spring — a coil
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spring — of water
  13. field — farmland
  14. spring — the season
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. roll — a cake
  17. field — a subject
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. squash — to crush
  21. staff — employees
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. squash — the sport
  24. foot — a measure

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