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: chest · firm · foot · capital · calf · rest · stem · mate

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — decided
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mate — a partner
  14. firm — a company
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. firm — steady
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — to come from
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — what's left
  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