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: current · kid · prune · track · capital · fine · scale · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kid — to tease
  4. current — happening now
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. current — of water
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fine — all right
  11. current — electric
  12. capital — a city
  13. track — a song
  14. scale — size or range
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. kid — child
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. track — a path
  23. board — a committee
  24. fine — high quality

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