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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bound — tied together
  16. hand — help
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — obliged
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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