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: pit · track · capital · straw · mine · stem · snap · mouse

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. track — to keep track
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stem — to come from
  13. track — a song
  14. snap — to click
  15. capital — money
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mine — belonging to me

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