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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a match
  12. capital — a city
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. capital — money
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bank — of a river
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. snap — to click
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pass — a permit

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