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: jam · prune · lie · deal · capital · rule · bark · cap

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cap — a hat
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rule — government
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rule — a law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. capital — money
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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