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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. file — a document
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fall — the season
  10. mark — a grade
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a 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