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 120 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: wind · track · stem · press · trunk · capital · pass · scale

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — in music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. capital — a city
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — a song
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pass — a permit
  11. capital — money
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wind — moving air
  22. scale — size or range
  23. track — a path
  24. pass — to succeed

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