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

Word bank: bass · prune · club · scale · net · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. club — for golf
  3. scale — size or range
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — low music
  7. net — in sport
  8. bass — the fish
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — happy
  12. scale — in music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — after costs

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