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: degree · kid · rush · prune · scale · ground · last · wake

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ground — a position
  5. degree — from a university
  6. scale — size or range
  7. last — to go on
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kid — to tease
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ground — the earth
  16. last — finally
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kid — child
  21. rush — hurry
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. last — final

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