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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. charge — a price
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. charge — in control
  10. degree — from a university
  11. band — a music group
  12. root — of a word
  13. charge — electricity
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a ring
  16. root — the cause
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — a match
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. nail — for a hammer

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