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: club · bowl · mark · squash · saw · patient · net · scale

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. club — a group
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. club — for golf
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — to crush
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. net — after costs
  18. club — for dancing
  19. scale — in music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. net — for catching

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