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 120 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: nail · chair · land · capital · stem · deal · mate · can

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — a country
  5. capital — a city
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — to be able to
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a partner
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. mate — to breed
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chair — a leader
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. chair — a professorship

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