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: ball · staff · pitcher · ground · tube · mate · scale · march

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mate — a friend
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — in music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. march — the month
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tube — a container
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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