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 116 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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. last — finally
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. last — to go on
  11. pit — in a race
  12. capital — a city
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fine — all right
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — final
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fine — high quality
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — hurry
  24. prune — to trim

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