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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. firm — decided
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. court — of law
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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