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: saw · prune · land · capital · press · rock · board · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rest — a break
  11. press — a publisher
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. land — a country
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. land — ground
  21. board — a committee
  22. rest — what's left
  23. saw — the tool
  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