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: cold · stock · calf · leaves · capital · tube · stem · wave

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stock — shares
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tube — a container
  10. cold — an illness
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — goods
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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