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 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spring — of water
  3. net — in sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. spring — a coil
  10. net — after costs
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — the season
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. net — for catching

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