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: land · saw · ruler · snap · key · bowl · pitch · scale

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. key — in music
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. snap — to click
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. land — ground
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. land — to come down
  15. pitch — completely
  16. key — the most important part
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — for a lock
  24. scale — size or range

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