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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — to get on
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — of the year
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. season — in sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pop — soda
  18. prune — to trim
  19. craft — boats
  20. pop — to visit
  21. clip — a video
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  24. season — to add flavour

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