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 116 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: patient · swing · squash · leaves · scale · mate · wave · prune

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. scale — in music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — in golf
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. swing — music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — to play on
  21. squash — to crush
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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