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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kid — child
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rash — a series
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. kid — to tease
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. degree — temperature
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — in a race
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. degree — an amount

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