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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. game — a match
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. field — for sport
  11. date — the fruit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cue — a signal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bear — to put up with

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