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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — to come down
  14. kick — in football
  15. land — ground
  16. rash — a series
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — a short time
  22. land — a country
  23. spell — magic
  24. sharp — exactly

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