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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. capital — a city
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. capital — money
  12. content — the amount
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. content — happy
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — to come from
  24. degree — from a university

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