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: foot · prune · clip · net · bore · roll · current · spring

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. current — of water
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — the season
  5. bore — to tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — a coil
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. net — in sport
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. clip — for paper
  13. net — after costs
  14. roll — a list
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spring — of water
  17. clip — to cut
  18. roll — a cake
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. net — for catching
  24. roll — on a roll

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