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: wake · clip · key · bark · mate · scale · stand · prune

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — for paper
  6. key — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. clip — a video
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. key — the most important part
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stand — for spectators

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