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

Word bank: prune · field · fine · pitch · ball · cabinet · snap · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. field — a subject
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — high quality
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. field — for sport
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. snap — to click
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. clip — a video
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. field — farmland
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. clip — for paper

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