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 · wound · track · bulb · ball · jam · march · squash

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ball — a great time
  12. march — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — the sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. march — the month
  22. track — a path
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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