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: jam · stem · firm · spring · cap · kick · capital · pit

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. firm — steady
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. capital — a city
  17. pit — a hole
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. firm — decided
  20. capital — money
  21. kick — in football
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. firm — a company

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