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: wake · hand · capital · calf · field · stem · pit · chip

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. capital — a city
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. field — for sport
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — help
  11. stem — to come from
  12. field — a subject
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wake — a trail
  20. capital — money
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chip — for betting
  23. field — farmland
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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