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 · pop · bowl · bear · stem · fan · calf · charge

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. capital — a big letter

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