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: scale · jam · spring · wake · pitch · shower · saw · fork

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — in music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. spring — a coil
  13. shower — rain
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fork — in a road
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spring — the season
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spring — of water
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fork — a garden tool

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