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 · prune · toast · file · race · season · press · wave

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. capital — a city
  6. race — the arms race
  7. file — a tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. season — of the year
  10. file — a line of people
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. season — in sport
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. file — a document
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. capital — money
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. race — a contest
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wave — with your hand

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