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: safe · wound · stem · leaves · jam · mate · file · ground

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ground — a position
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a partner
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stem — to come from
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mate — to breed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — a friend
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ground — the earth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ground — crushed

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