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: object · capital · last · cabinet · prune · mark · press · spring

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — of water
  5. object — a thing
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — newspapers
  8. last — final
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — to push
  11. last — to go on
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mark — a trace
  16. object — an aim
  17. last — finally
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. spring — the season
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. object — to protest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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