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: mug · scale · fine · pitcher · cabinet · current · chair · bat

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bat — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — electric
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fine — all right
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — happening now
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bat — for baseball

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