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: chest · suit · capital · stem · object · racket · game · mine

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. capital — a city
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chest — of your body
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — to protest
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chest — a box
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — clothes
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — for digging
  17. game — a match
  18. capital — money
  19. object — a thing
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. object — an aim
  22. suit — to fit
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. suit — in cards

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