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: scale · prune · rush · clip · object · wound · season · charge

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. object — to protest
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. clip — a video
  16. object — a thing
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. scale — in music
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — an aim
  23. season — in sport
  24. scale — size or range

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