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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — of ice
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — a committee
  5. clip — a video
  6. board — to get on
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bound — certain
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cue — a signal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a ring
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. band — a music group
  24. bat — the animal

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