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: wax · snap · mouse · bowl · march · chair · scale · current

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. current — electric
  9. march — the month
  10. scale — in music
  11. current — of water
  12. snap — to click
  13. march — music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chair — a professorship

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