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 · field · rest · bowl · stem · date · ground · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — a break
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. field — a subject
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. capital — a city
  14. field — for sport
  15. ground — a position
  16. field — farmland
  17. rest — what's left
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. capital — money
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. date — on the calendar

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