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 · fine · clip · march · trunk · bass · deal · content

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fine — all right
  3. content — the amount
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — to cut
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. clip — a video
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the fish
  14. content — happy
  15. march — music
  16. clip — for paper
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fine — high quality
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — low music

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