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 · season · drill · object · club · land · board · stem

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. club — for golf
  4. object — a thing
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stem — to come from
  7. land — a country
  8. drill — the tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. drill — a practice
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — to protest
  16. season — in sport
  17. drill — army training
  18. season — of the year
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. club — a group
  21. board — a committee
  22. club — for dancing
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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