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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pound — a weight
  20. row — a line
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chest — of your body

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