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: file · drill · court · ground · stem · face · charge · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. drill — the tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. court — for sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. court — of a king
  10. charge — in control
  11. face — to point toward
  12. court — of law
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — army training
  17. file — a document
  18. charge — electricity
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stem — to come from
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ground — the earth

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