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 · chair · kid · tube · cap · arm · lash · stand

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. kid — to tease
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kid — child
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cap — a lid
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lash — to lash out

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