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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — in sport
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wake — a trail
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. net — for catching
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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