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 · foot · court · season · mate · suit · charge · board

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — a price
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. suit — to fit
  8. board — to get on
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — in sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. mate — to breed
  13. suit — clothes
  14. court — for sport
  15. stem — to come from
  16. court — of law
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. charge — electricity
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mate — a friend
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. charge — in control
  24. stem — of a plant

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