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: firm · wound · content · pass · capital · fall · staff · prune

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fall — to drop
  3. staff — a stick
  4. firm — a company
  5. prune — to trim
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. content — the amount
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. content — happy
  14. firm — steady
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — decided
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — the season
  22. capital — a city
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — videos and posts

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