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

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. capital — a city
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. rash — a series
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — of water
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — money
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rash — on the skin

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