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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lean — to bend
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. scale — in music
  8. drill — army training
  9. ground — a position
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ground — the earth
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — the tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lean — thin
  24. straw — dry grass

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