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 · squash · stick · clip · lash · cue · cap · bound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cue — a signal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — a hint
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a hat
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bound — certain
  15. cue — for pool
  16. clip — a video
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bound — obliged
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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