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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mate — a partner
  3. capital — a city
  4. chest — a box
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mate — to breed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mate — a friend

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