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: spell · capital · bound · saw · calf · chair · jam · stem

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — tied together
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. spell — magic
  11. bound — certain
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spell — letters
  15. chair — a leader
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. saw — the tool
  21. capital — a city
  22. bound — obliged
  23. capital — money
  24. jam — to spread on 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