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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. season — of the year
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — for a lock
  15. season — in sport
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. band — a ring
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cell — in biology
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a music group

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