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 · chair · bound · ball · mate · net · chest · stem

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. net — in sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bound — certain
  8. chest — of your body
  9. net — after costs
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. capital — money
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chest — of your body
  20. net — for catching
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chest — a box
  24. mate — a friend

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