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: charge · last · club · key · lie · deal · court · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — a price
  4. club — for golf
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. last — to go on
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. key — the most important part
  9. court — for sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — to recline
  14. last — finally
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — final
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — a group
  20. key — for a lock
  21. court — of a king
  22. deal — to handle
  23. charge — electricity
  24. key — in music

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