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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — a video
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — for catching
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — in sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. clip — for paper
  17. content — the amount
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — happy
  23. pass — a permit
  24. net — after costs

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