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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a hole
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pit — in a race
  6. hand — in cards
  7. kid — child
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — help
  11. ball — a great time
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cell — in biology
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cell — a phone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. perch — the fish

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