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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bound — obliged
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. net — after costs
  8. degree — from a university
  9. can — a tin
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. degree — temperature
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. swing — music
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — in music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. net — for catching
  21. scale — size or range
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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