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 120 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: content · scale · lash · patient · prune · file · trunk · wound

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — size or range
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. content — the amount
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. file — a line of people
  18. content — happy
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a document
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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