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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — for sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — of law
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. court — of a king
  17. race — a contest
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. race — humankind
  23. cell — in biology
  24. safe — out of danger

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