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 · land · game · stem · season · stand · toast · bore

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. season — in sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — of the year
  12. capital — money
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. capital — a city
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bore — to tire
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. land — ground
  24. toast — bread

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