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 120 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — the season
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitcher — a jug

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