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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — a division
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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