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: present · capital · cue · stem · foot · cap · deal · temple

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — there
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — a gift
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. capital — money
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — to handle
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. capital — a city
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — the time now
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cap — of ice
  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