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 · court · fork · key · clip · toast · snap · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. snap — to click
  3. toast — bread
  4. court — of law
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. key — for a lock
  11. scale — size or range
  12. clip — a video
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. clip — for paper
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fork — in a road
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. scale — in music

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