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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mine — for digging
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — to recline
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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