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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. net — for catching
  15. fine — all right
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pound — a weight
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — after costs

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