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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fine — high quality
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spring — a coil
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — a price
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — in control
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — the earth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — all right
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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