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 · pound · drill · spell · roll · kid · hide · season

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spell — letters
  5. scale — in music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. scale — size or range
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. drill — a practice
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kid — child
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. roll — a cake
  17. kid — to tease
  18. season — of the year
  19. roll — a list
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — a weight
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. season — in sport

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