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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — letters
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — ground
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — for pool
  13. spell — magic
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. capital — a city
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. capital — money
  22. land — a country
  23. toast — bread
  24. cue — a signal

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