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 · rock · straw · hand · wound · stem · dip · staff

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. hand — in cards
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hand — help
  24. dip — to dunk

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