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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. firm — decided
  3. scale — size or range
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. firm — a company
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — to point toward
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. firm — steady
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — to come from
  22. row — to paddle
  23. scale — in music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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