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 116 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: cabinet · sharp · capital · prune · last · fall · fine · chip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. last — final
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — the season
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — all right
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — finally
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — high quality
  20. last — to go on
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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