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: stem · board · charge · mark · capital · squash · wind · tube

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. charge — in control
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — a price
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mark — a trace
  12. capital — money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. board — a committee
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. board — to get on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. capital — a city
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — a container
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — to crush

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