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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. kid — to tease
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — child
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lean — thin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a great time

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