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 120 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: wax · bat · snap · pound · cabinet · dip · scale · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pound — a weight
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. snap — to click
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. march — the month
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bat — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wax — to grow
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. march — music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — a sauce

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