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: capital · toast · arm · bank · cell · stem · bark · land

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. toast — bread
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bark — to shout
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bank — of a river
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. land — ground
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. capital — a city
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stem — to come from
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. capital — money
  24. stem — of a plant

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