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: rest · mark · ground · staff · wound · craft · safe · pitcher

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. mark — a grade
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wound — an injury
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — boats
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — what's left
  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