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: clip · fine · prune · bank · season · bound · temple · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — in sport
  7. clip — a video
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bound — certain
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bound — obliged
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — to trim

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