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 · bore · rule · fine · staff · club · present · clip

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. club — a group
  3. present — the time now
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — high quality
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. rule — a law
  11. bore — to drill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — there
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — to tire
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — for dancing
  22. present — a gift
  23. club — for golf
  24. fine — all right

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