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: bound · capital · current · leaves · net · chair · stem · pop

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bound — certain
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. stem — to come from
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. capital — a city
  11. pop — music
  12. current — of water
  13. capital — money
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. net — for catching
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chair — a leader
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — soda
  24. chair — a professorship

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