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: prune · capital · mark · board · safe · leaves · bowl · season

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. season — of the year
  5. prune — to trim
  6. season — in sport
  7. capital — a city
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. board — to get on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. board — a committee
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mark — a trace
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. capital — money
  24. safe — out of danger

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