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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — ground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a document
  6. row — a line
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. can — to be able to
  11. land — to come down
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. kick — in football
  14. land — a country
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. row — to paddle
  17. can — a tin
  18. file — a line of people
  19. can — a tin
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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