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: stem · wake · season · charge · capital · land · board · staff

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. charge — a price
  4. board — to get on
  5. capital — a city
  6. board — a committee
  7. staff — a stick
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. land — to come down
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. land — ground
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — in sport
  16. capital — money
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — a country
  19. charge — in control
  20. stem — to come from
  21. season — of the year
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stem — a stem cell

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