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: track · capital · craft · staff · stem · board · scale · straw

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. capital — a city
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. track — to keep track
  9. staff — a stick
  10. board — a committee
  11. craft — boats
  12. staff — employees
  13. capital — money
  14. craft — a skill
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — employees

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