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 · game · perch · ruler · date · mine · march · saw

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. march — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. scale — in music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — for digging
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. march — the month
  23. date — the fruit
  24. scale — size or range

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