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: dip · lash · scale · band · game · prune · file · branch

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a document
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a music group
  7. game — a match
  8. file — a line of people
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. branch — a division
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — in music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. game — wild animals
  19. file — a tool
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lash — to lash out

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