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: lash · club · wax · scale · prune · fan · bark · pitch

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — a group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wax — to grow
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — for golf
  24. wax — for sculpting

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