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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · capital · stem · spell · press · bore

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spell — magic
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — to drill
  9. capital — a city
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wind — moving air
  17. press — a publisher
  18. capital — money

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