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: nail · safe · bass · game · stem · spell · rush · file

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. file — a tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — a match
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a document
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bass — the fish
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stem — to come from

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