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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. field — for sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stock — shares
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. field — farmland
  13. rash — a series
  14. field — a subject
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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