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 116 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. firm — steady
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. firm — a company
  11. perch — the fish
  12. staff — employees
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — decided
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree

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