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: game · ground · saw · stem · dip · track · file · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ground — a position
  7. game — a match
  8. dip — to sink
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — a path
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — steady
  14. saw — the tool
  15. file — a tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. track — to keep track
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. game — wild animals
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. game — a kind of play

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