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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — in a race
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — a hole
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. perch — the fish
  16. scale — in music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — out of danger

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