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: stick · stem · bound · mine · content · rock · vault · capital

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bound — certain
  3. capital — a city
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bound — obliged
  7. content — the amount
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — happy
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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