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: hide · prune · ball · suit · lean · pitch · clip · patient

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. clip — a video
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pitch — completely
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. clip — to cut
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — thin
  20. suit — to fit
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ball — a dance
  24. patient — a sick person

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