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: band · pass · stock · court · spring · trunk · ball · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. court — of a king
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — of law
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. spring — a coil
  10. court — for sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. band — a music group
  13. spring — of water
  14. stock — shares
  15. spring — the season
  16. stock — goods
  17. scale — size or range
  18. band — a ring
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. band — a rubber band

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