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 · key · season · capital · tube · coach · game · cabinet

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tube — the underground
  3. game — wild animals
  4. tube — a container
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. season — of the year
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — a match
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — in music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. key — for a lock
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — in sport
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. prune — to trim

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