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: sharp · wound · cell · prune · scale · ground · cap · rush

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ground — a position
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — of ice
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — a phone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ground — crushed

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