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: bank · safe · wind · last · club · suit · stem · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — finally
  6. bank — of a river
  7. last — to go on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wind — moving air
  10. club — for golf
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. club — a group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — to come from
  16. last — final
  17. club — for dancing
  18. suit — clothes
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — for money
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stem — of a plant

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