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: prune · clip · stand · wind · ground · pass · season · root

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ground — crushed
  5. clip — for paper
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — a position
  12. root — of a word
  13. clip — to cut
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — of the year
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. season — in sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. clip — a video
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ground — the earth
  24. root — the cause

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