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: stem · lash · march · arm · stick · spell · tear · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spell — magic
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — in control
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spell — letters
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tear — from crying
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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