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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pass — a permit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — in music
  6. net — in sport
  7. capital — a city
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. club — a group
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. club — for golf
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tear — to rip
  19. club — for dancing
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — for a lock
  22. capital — money
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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