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: lean · clip · field · ball · march · prune · plane · mug

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mug — a face
  3. lean — to bend
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mug — a cup
  7. field — for sport
  8. march — the month
  9. field — a subject
  10. ball — a great time
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. field — farmland
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — to trim
  21. clip — to cut
  22. march — music
  23. lean — thin
  24. march — the month

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