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: bark · lie · drill · spring · can · scale · wound · prune

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — to shout
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. drill — army training
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. scale — in music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — to recline
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wound — an injury

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