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: face · lean · stem · key · clip · squash · sharp · temple

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — to crush
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. key — in music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. clip — a video
  9. face — to point toward
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lean — thin
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the sport
  18. face — to confront
  19. stem — to come from
  20. key — for a lock
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. clip — for paper
  23. sharp — clever
  24. face — part of the head

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