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: pass · band · leaves · date · deal · capital · stem · stick

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — a permit
  4. deal — to handle
  5. band — a ring
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. band — a music group
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. date — the fruit

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