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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. craft — boats
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. date — the fruit
  13. capital — a city
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mug — a face
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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