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: capital · charge · track · fall · court · rock · prune · nail

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — of a king
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — for sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. track — to keep track
  11. capital — money
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. capital — a city
  14. court — of law
  15. charge — electricity
  16. track — a path
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — in control
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — a stone
  24. track — a song

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