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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  3. kick — in football
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. tube — a container
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — the underground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wake — a trail
  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