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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — farmland
  3. rock — a stone
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. field — for sport
  10. scale — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — a subject
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. scale — size or range
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — music
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. saw — the tool

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