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 · key · net · bound · pitcher · last · bear · jam

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. last — to go on
  7. bound — certain
  8. net — after costs
  9. bound — obliged
  10. key — in music
  11. last — finally
  12. net — in sport
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitcher — a jug

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