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: race · prune · temple · branch · rule · scale · fine · row

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — humankind
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. race — the arms race
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. fine — all right
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — to trim
  16. row — a line
  17. race — a contest
  18. scale — size or range
  19. branch — a division
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — a law
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. temple — a place of worship

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