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: trunk · prune · ball · bank · land · capital · content · rest

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. capital — money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — to come down
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. land — a country
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rest — a break
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — the amount
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. content — happy
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. land — ground
  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