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 120 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: key · mark · stick · wax · pitch · chair · scale · rash

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rash — a series
  19. key — in music
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mark — to pay attention

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