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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chest — of your body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — a box
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. capital — a city
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. capital — money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — of your body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wake — before a funeral

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