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: date · last · prune · ball · clip · bowl · pass · toast

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. clip — to cut
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — bread
  7. date — the fruit
  8. last — final
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ball — a dance
  18. last — to go on
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. last — finally
  23. ball — a great time
  24. clip — a video

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