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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · row · sharp · fine · prune · cabinet · file · capital

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. firm — decided
  4. fine — high quality
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. firm — steady
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fine — all right
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. row — to paddle
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. row — a line
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — a company
  21. file — a tool
  22. capital — money
  23. file — a document
  24. capital — a city

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