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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ground — a position
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bat — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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