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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — thin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a music group
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. band — a ring
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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