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: wave · cabinet · fine · prune · clip · lash · net · bound

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. clip — a video
  4. bound — tied together
  5. net — after costs
  6. bound — certain
  7. net — in sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. clip — for paper
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fine — high quality
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. net — for catching

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