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: vault · present · stem · root · capital · saw · season · rash

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. capital — a city
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rash — hasty
  8. root — the cause
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. rash — a series
  12. present — the time now
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. season — in sport
  18. stem — to come from
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. season — of the year
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. capital — money
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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