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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. clip — a video
  4. firm — a company
  5. clip — for paper
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. track — a song
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. capital — a city
  14. firm — decided
  15. track — a path
  16. firm — steady
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. capital — money
  23. kick — in football
  24. cell — in biology

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