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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · press · swing · cell · clip · stick

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cell — in biology
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — a phone
  7. press — a publisher
  8. swing — to play on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. clip — to cut
  14. swing — in golf
  15. clip — for paper
  16. press — newspapers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — to push

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