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: cold · lie · ruler · wave · prune · scale · deal · nail

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cold — not warm
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. scale — in music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ruler — for measuring

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