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: capital · press · leaves · branch · object · wake · sharp · date

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — newspapers
  7. date — the fruit
  8. branch — a division
  9. object — to protest
  10. capital — a city
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. object — an aim
  15. press — to push
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — a publisher
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. capital — money

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