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 · mine · wound · fork · bulb · ground · stand · field

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — a position
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — a subject
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — to bear
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fork — a garden tool

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