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 · fine · chair · pop · can · face · capital · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fine — all right
  3. pop — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pop — to visit
  7. capital — money
  8. pop — soda
  9. face — part of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — to be able to
  20. face — to confront
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stem — of a plant

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