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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. field — farmland
  6. snap — to click
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — a group
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. club — for golf
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. club — for dancing
  17. field — for sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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