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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. capital — a city
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. spell — magic
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bank — of a river
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. capital — money
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chip — in a computer

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