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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — goods
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cold — an illness
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lean — thin
  14. stock — shares
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kick — in football
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. safe — a strongbox

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