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: bear · charge · prune · bark · march · bat · scale · lean

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — the month
  4. bat — the animal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. scale — in music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. charge — a price
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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