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: ground · mouse · vault · march · stem · racket · face · rest

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — to come from
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. march — the month
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — part of the head
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ground — a position
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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