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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. object — an aim
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rule — a law
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. content — the amount
  17. stem — to come from
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. object — a thing
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. content — happy
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. staff — employees

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