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: race · stem · face · charge · scale · kick · bound · firm

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. kick — in football
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bound — tied together
  4. charge — a price
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — humankind
  7. charge — electricity
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. face — to point toward
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. race — a contest
  13. scale — in music
  14. charge — in control
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. firm — steady
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bound — obliged
  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