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: ball · rule · bass · jam · scale · pop · rock · bat

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rule — a law
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bass — the fish
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a dance

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