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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mark — a grade
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ground — the earth
  18. toast — bread
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mark — to pay attention

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