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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. clip — for paper
  6. game — a match
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — to go on
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ground — a position
  19. clip — a video
  20. ground — the earth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — final
  24. rule — a law

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