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: fine · capital · stand · mate · pitcher · stem · can · bore

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — a city
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. capital — money
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. capital — a big letter

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