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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — a match
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. last — to go on
  8. spring — of water
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — final
  11. shower — to wash
  12. spring — a coil
  13. last — finally
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. shower — rain
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spring — the season

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