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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. capital — a city
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tube — a container
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. content — the amount
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chip — to eat
  20. capital — money
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chip — for betting
  24. suit — to fit

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