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: safe · capital · prune · last · foot · current · mark · swing

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — a measure
  5. swing — to play on
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. current — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. swing — in golf
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. last — finally
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — a city
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — final
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. last — to go on
  24. current — electric

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