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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bound — obliged
  3. file — a tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — in football
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rock — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — a stone
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. race — a contest
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. file — a document
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. sharp — clever

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