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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — a phone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. degree — temperature
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. degree — an amount
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. roll — a list
  24. wake — a trail

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