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: capital · shower · cap · roll · stem · craft · season · track

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. 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. roll — a list
  2. craft — boats
  3. season — in sport
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cap — a hat
  6. track — a song
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. cap — of ice
  9. roll — a cake
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. track — a path
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. shower — to wash
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a city
  16. stem — to come from
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — of the year
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. shower — rain
  21. cap — a lid
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. 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