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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. press — a publisher
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — a committee
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. capital — money
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — the time now
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mate — a friend
  17. present — a gift
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — to push
  20. present — there
  21. capital — a city
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  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