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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — of a river
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — a tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rule — a law

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