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 · wax · band · wound · stick · bass · last · ruler

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. last — final
  5. bass — low music
  6. band — a ring
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a music group
  9. last — finally
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. last — to go on
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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