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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — in sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — after costs
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rash — a series
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — a tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. track — a song
  16. net — for catching
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. track — a path
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rash — hasty
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. saw — the tool

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