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 · drill · capital · calf · saw · bass · chair · object

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. object — an aim
  6. bass — low music
  7. capital — a city
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. object — a thing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. capital — money
  19. chair — a leader
  20. drill — a practice
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. object — to protest

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