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 120 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: kick · snap · prune · bowl · dip · capital · clip · rush

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. capital — a city
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. clip — for paper
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. kick — in football
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. capital — money
  17. rush — hurry
  18. clip — a video
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. snap — to click

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