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: pit · leaves · safe · degree · jam · wound · staff · ground

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — crushed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. staff — a stick
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — a position
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ground — the earth
  18. degree — an amount
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pit — a hole
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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