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: jam · prune · face · pop · suit · root · capital · saw

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. face — to confront
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. capital — money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — of a word
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. capital — a city
  12. face — part of the head
  13. root — of a plant
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. suit — clothes
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — to fit
  21. root — the cause
  22. pop — to visit
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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