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: file · hide · content · fine · mark · scale · last · prune

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. content — the amount
  3. scale — in music
  4. fine — all right
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — final
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — finally
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a line of people
  13. scale — size or range
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — a trace
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mark — a grade
  18. content — happy
  19. last — to go on
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mark — to pay attention

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