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: racket · can · net · stem · capital · staff · march · board

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. capital — a city
  4. stem — to come from
  5. net — for catching
  6. march — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — money
  13. can — a tin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — in sport
  17. staff — a stick
  18. board — a committee
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — employees
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. can — to be able to

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