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 · deal · pitcher · spell · dip · wave · row · land

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. land — a country
  3. spell — magic
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. row — a line
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. land — ground
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — to paddle
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. dip — to sink
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. land — to come down

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