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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — for digging
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. key — for a lock
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stock — goods
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. game — a match
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — shares
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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