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 116 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: cold · scale · bound · bowl · plane · sharp · bass · ruler

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. scale — in music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bound — certain
  12. bass — the fish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — low music
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ruler — for measuring

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