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 · face · stem · track · charge · arm · rush · bowl

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rush — hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. court — for sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. track — to keep track
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — a price
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. charge — in control
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — a path
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. charge — electricity
  17. court — of a king
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. track — a song

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