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: stick · bound · plane · stock · season · capital · tube · kid

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. season — in sport
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bound — certain
  6. capital — money
  7. bound — obliged
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — child
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — of the year
  18. stock — shares
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kid — to tease
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tube — in a tire

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