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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. clip — a video
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. charge — a price
  7. cue — a hint
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. object — an aim
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. object — a thing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — in control
  15. cue — a signal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cue — for pool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. object — to protest
  21. clip — for paper
  22. charge — electricity
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lash — an eyelash

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