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: fine · prune · kick · chip · spell · squash · fall · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a ring
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spell — letters
  7. kick — in football
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — high quality
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. band — a music group
  16. fall — to drop
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fall — the season
  19. chip — to eat
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. squash — to crush

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