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: mine · pop · cap · sharp · scale · bulb · date · bass

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — soda
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pop — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — in music
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mine — for digging
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — a hat

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