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: deal · arm · key · mark · pitch · prune · capital · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitch — completely
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. capital — money
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. capital — a city
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mark — a trace

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