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 120 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. present — there
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kid — child
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tube — a container
  21. present — a gift
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bound — certain

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