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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. roll — a cake
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fine — all right
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. game — a match
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. degree — from a university
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fine — high quality

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