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: race · pitcher · stand · clip · firm · kid · kick · prune

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — the arms race
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. clip — a video
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. firm — a company
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. kid — child
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. kid — to tease
  22. clip — for paper
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — decided

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