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 · ball · fine · field · face · pound · scale · rule

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rule — a law
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — government
  14. fine — high quality
  15. field — farmland
  16. fine — all right
  17. face — to confront
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. scale — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stem — to come from
  24. scale — for weighing

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