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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. tube — a container
  6. content — the amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tube — the underground
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. race — humankind
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. race — a contest
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rush — hurry

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