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: prune · wind · bank · nail · last · capital · mark · mouse

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — finally
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wind — moving air
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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