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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. march — music
  4. file — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. prune — to trim
  8. capital — money
  9. file — a document
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. file — a line of people
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stand — to bear
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. foot — a measure
  23. march — the month
  24. mark — to pay attention

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