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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stem — to come from
  3. capital — a city
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. plane — a tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ruler — for measuring

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