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: hide · club · prune · safe · cold · pit · can · capital

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. capital — money
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. can — to be able to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — a city
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — a tin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. club — for golf
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. can — a tin
  24. cold — not warm

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