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: foot · firm · stem · clip · face · content · wound · pop

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. content — happy
  5. firm — a company
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. firm — decided
  8. pop — music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pop — soda
  12. clip — for paper
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — steady
  16. stem — to come from
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — a measure
  20. clip — a video
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — the amount
  24. pop — to visit

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