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: stand · calf · content · coach · branch · stem · capital · season

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. branch — a division
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. capital — money
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. content — the amount
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — a young animal

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