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: hand · firm · bowl · scale · key · charge · pitcher · rest

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. charge — in control
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. scale — in music
  18. firm — a company
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — a break
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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