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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. track — a path
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — finally
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. last — final
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. track — a song
  18. last — to go on
  19. kick — in football
  20. track — to keep track
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cell — a phone
  24. kick — a thrill

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