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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. land — to come down
  3. firm — steady
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. band — a music group
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. firm — decided
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. land — ground
  13. capital — money
  14. land — a country
  15. race — a contest
  16. firm — a company
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a ring
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. capital — a city
  24. stem — a stem cell

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