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 120 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 · kid · bowl · scale · racket · lie · ground · trunk

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kid — child
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — in music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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