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: date · scale · prune · kick · ruler · present · race · chip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — to eat
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — in music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kick — in football
  10. present — a gift
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. race — humankind
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — the time now
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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