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: swing · hide · mine · mate · capital · stem · can · fork

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mine — for digging
  20. swing — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. capital — money
  24. can — a tin

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