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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pop — music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ball — a great time
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. branch — a division
  15. ball — a dance
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pop — soda
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pop — to visit
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ball — a round shape

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