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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — a country
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pop — to visit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. last — final
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pop — music
  13. kick — in football
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — in music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — size or range
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. land — to come down
  24. pop — soda

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