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: face · pitch · root · stand · craft · march · capital · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. capital — a city
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. capital — money
  10. pitch — completely
  11. root — of a plant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. root — of a word
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. root — the cause
  23. craft — boats
  24. capital — a big letter

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