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: tube · capital · stick · toast · chair · stem · current · sharp

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. current — of water
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. capital — a city
  10. sharp — clever
  11. current — happening now
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. toast — bread
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — the underground
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. capital — money
  24. tube — a container

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