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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. last — final
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. last — to go on
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. last — finally
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — to visit

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