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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cue — a hint
  6. net — in sport
  7. band — a ring
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — for catching
  11. cue — for pool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. last — to go on
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — after costs
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. last — finally
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — completely
  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