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: band · safe · board · squash · pitcher · file · stem · game

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. squash — to crush
  3. board — to get on
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — a committee
  14. game — wild animals
  15. squash — the sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a match
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. board — a flat piece

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