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: season · clip · prune · field · bank · hide · club · chip

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. field — a subject
  2. club — for golf
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. season — of the year
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — farmland
  8. bank — of a river
  9. season — in sport
  10. clip — to cut
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — for sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  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