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: cold · present · coach · stem · capital · bound · plane · leaves

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. present — there
  11. cold — not warm
  12. plane — a tool
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. cold — an illness
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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