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: scale · nail · cabinet · pitcher · prune · key · land · hand

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. key — the most important part
  3. land — ground
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hand — in cards
  13. land — to come down
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. key — for a lock
  16. scale — in music
  17. key — in music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. land — a country

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