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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. board — to get on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. prune — to trim
  7. capital — a city
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. hand — help
  14. current — electric
  15. capital — money
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. capital — a big letter

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