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: club · arm · stem · bat · stand · hide · capital · charge

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — a city
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — in control
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. club — for dancing
  10. charge — electricity
  11. club — for golf
  12. bat — the animal
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stem — to come from
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. charge — a price
  19. capital — money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bat — for baseball

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