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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. land — a country
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — to come down
  8. file — a document
  9. net — in sport
  10. object — a thing
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hand — in cards
  15. object — to protest
  16. net — for catching
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. land — ground
  19. file — a tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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