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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — certain
  3. scale — in music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. face — to point toward
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. band — a music group
  12. scale — size or range
  13. face — to confront
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bound — tied together
  16. season — in sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — not warm
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — obliged

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