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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. land — ground
  3. fall — the season
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fall — to drop
  10. shower — rain
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — child
  18. land — a country
  19. cell — a phone
  20. land — to come down
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. safe — out of danger

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