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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. press — to push
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chair — a leader
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — completely
  20. swing — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. press — a publisher
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wave — of the sea

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