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: track · scale · bass · wake · pitch · calf · board · mine

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. scale — size or range
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bass — low music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. scale — in music

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