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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — a tin
  3. land — ground
  4. clip — a video
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. land — to come down
  8. prune — to trim
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. land — a country
  14. clip — to cut
  15. face — to point toward
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — a permit
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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