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 120 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 · mug · key · bass · bulb · pound · mine · snap

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bass — low music
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. scale — in music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mine — for digging
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mug — a face
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — in music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. scale — size or range
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mine — belonging to me

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