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 · bark · stand · saw · stem · cue · file

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cue — for pool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. toast — bread
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stem — to come from
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. capital — a city
  22. file — a document
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stand — on your feet

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