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: key · content · tear · stem · chip · ground · safe · spring

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ground — a position
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — of water
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tear — from crying
  9. content — happy
  10. spring — a coil
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chip — to eat
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. content — the amount
  20. spring — the season
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. key — in music
  24. tear — to rip

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