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: ball · stem · capital · bulb · cap · rash · branch · tube

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ball — a great time
  14. branch — a division
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — a series
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cap — a hat
  21. capital — a city
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tube — a container
  24. capital — money

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