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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. clip — to cut
  9. object — an aim
  10. current — of water
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. object — a thing
  13. ball — a great time
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — electric
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. current — happening now
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ball — a dance
  23. object — to protest
  24. prune — to trim

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