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: charge · spring · dip · stem · rest · net · nail · face

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stem — to come from
  3. face — to confront
  4. charge — in control
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. net — for catching
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — a price
  10. net — in sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. dip — to sink
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — to point toward
  23. charge — electricity
  24. dip — to dunk

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