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 · rush · can · pop · mine · ball · lash · clip

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. clip — a video
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. clip — to cut
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pop — soda
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a dance
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lash — to lash out

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