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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. scale — in music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spring — the season
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — in sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spring — a coil
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spring — of water
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kick — in football
  24. face — to confront

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