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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — in cards
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wax — to grow
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. kid — to tease
  19. race — a contest
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — help
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. race — humankind

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