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: stem · bulb · stick · capital · rest · club

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. capital — a city
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for golf
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rest — a break
  11. capital — money
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rest — what's left

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