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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — to come from
  3. row — a line
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. march — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. race — the arms race
  19. march — the month
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. race — humankind

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