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: lash · can · straw · bound · fine · scale · prune · spring

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — in music
  4. spring — of water
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fine — high quality
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bound — tied together
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — certain
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spring — a coil
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bound — obliged
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spring — the season
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. can — a tin
  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