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: kick · scale · roll · wax · racket · chest · plane · leaves

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. roll — a cake
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. scale — in music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chest — a box
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. roll — on a roll

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