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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bank — for money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — for money
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bank — of a river
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rest — a break
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — a line
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cell — in biology
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stand — to bear

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