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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. capital — a city
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a cake
  11. net — for catching
  12. roll — a list
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. net — in sport
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. stock — goods
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — to recline
  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