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: court · rush · race · stem · lean · clip · charge · calf

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. charge — in control
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. court — of law
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. lean — thin
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — humankind
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to bend
  23. clip — to cut
  24. charge — a price

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