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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — to bear
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. file — a document
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fine — high quality
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fine — all right

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