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 · spring · ruler · field · file · race · prune · band

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — farmland
  3. file — a tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a music group
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a line of people
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. file — a document
  13. race — humankind
  14. field — for sport
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. band — a ring
  18. field — a subject
  19. race — a contest
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — the arms race

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