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: leaves · cue · fan · capital · current · prune · date · swing

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a signal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. capital — a city
  7. current — electric
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. capital — money
  17. current — of water
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — for pool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. current — happening now
  23. swing — music
  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