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: saw · game · safe · wind · spring · craft · ground · cell

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ground — a position
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cell — a phone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — of water
  12. ground — the earth
  13. game — a match
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — a skill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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