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: cabinet · stem · pass · degree · capital · charge · mark · game

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. game — a match
  6. capital — money
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — a permit
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. degree — temperature
  19. game — wild animals
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. game — a kind of play

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