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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. land — ground
  6. ground — a position
  7. land — a country
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ground — the earth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stand — to bear
  15. net — in sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. tube — a container
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ground — crushed
  20. net — after costs
  21. land — to come down
  22. fine — all right
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — for catching

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