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: safe · fork · pitch · nail · stem · bass · straw · march

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the fish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. march — music
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stem — to come from
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bass — low music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fork — in a road
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pitch — completely
  24. straw — a straw man

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