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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. race — a contest
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. capital — money
  5. pop — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a dance
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. capital — a city
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. content — the amount
  15. race — humankind
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. root — of a word
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — happy
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. root — of a plant

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