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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. track — a song
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — all right
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. track — a path
  24. perch — the fish

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