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: land · spell · current · lie · firm · stem · pitcher · capital

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. current — electric
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. current — of water
  6. land — to come down
  7. capital — money
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — magic
  11. lie — to recline
  12. firm — a company
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — a short time
  16. capital — a city
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — happening now
  19. firm — steady
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. land — a country
  22. stem — to come from
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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