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: prune · wave · ground · last · pit · scale · leaves · ball

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pit — a hole
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ground — crushed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. last — to go on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ground — a position
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. scale — in music
  22. last — final
  23. pit — in a race
  24. last — finally

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