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: bark · capital · scale · game · cue · prune · patient · leaves

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cue — a hint
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. scale — in music
  11. capital — a city
  12. game — wild animals
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — to shout
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. prune — to trim
  21. capital — money
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. game — a match

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