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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. current — happening now
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. object — to protest
  8. current — electric
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — in football
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — of water
  19. object — an aim
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. board — a committee
  23. object — a thing
  24. bat — the animal

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