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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. board — to get on
  5. cell — a phone
  6. club — for golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pound — a weight
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a committee
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. club — a group
  20. perch — the fish
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pound — to hit hard

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