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: prune · wave · bass · wound · coach · mate · chest · nail

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chest — a box
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bass — the fish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — low music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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