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

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. prune — to trim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. clip — for paper
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to click
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. clip — to cut
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. clip — a video

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