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 · key · mine · ball · shower · band · stem · can

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. capital — money
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. capital — a city
  13. key — the most important part
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — rain
  17. band — a music group
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. key — in music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mine — belonging to me

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