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: foot · hide · chair · stem · track · nail · safe · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chair — a leader
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. field — a subject
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. foot — a measure
  20. track — a path
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. nail — for a hammer

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