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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — in music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — to visit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. craft — a skill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pop — soda
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. content — the amount
  14. craft — boats
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. key — for a lock
  17. prune — to trim
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — a city
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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