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

Word bank: straw · present · safe · bank · foot · field · mark · wound

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bank — for money
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — a gift
  8. bank — of a river
  9. field — for sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — a trace
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wound — an injury
  17. present — the time now
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a grade
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. present — there
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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