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: chip · prune · hand · scale · sharp · rock · vault · wake

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — in cards
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chip — for betting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wake — a trail
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rock — a stone
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. scale — in music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rock — music

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