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 120 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: ball · chair · stand · face · key · kid · stem · bass

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bass — low music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — to confront
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. kid — child
  18. bass — the fish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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