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: tube · prune · spell · ball · staff · mug · bound · clip

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — the underground
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mug — a face
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spell — a short time
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — a container
  18. clip — a video
  19. spell — magic
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bound — tied together
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spell — letters
  24. clip — to cut

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