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: spell · hand · mark · club · racket · scale · bound · bat

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bound — certain
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — tied together
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — letters
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. club — for dancing
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. club — a group
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. scale — in music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. club — for golf
  24. bat — in an idiom

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