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 120 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: rush · wound · board · stem · rest · fan · safe · file

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — to come from
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a document
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a line of people
  13. board — a committee
  14. rest — a break
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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