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: march · scale · ruler · fan · rush · game · bass · lie

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — the month
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lie — to recline
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a match
  20. scale — in music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bass — the fish

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