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: kid · toast · nail · pit · lash · rush · prune · capital

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kid — child
  5. toast — bread
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rush — hurry
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. capital — money
  14. kid — to tease
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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