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: hide · tear · prune · scale · plane · root · key · track

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. plane — a tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. key — for a lock
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tear — to rip
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a word
  24. plane — in geometry

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