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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. capital — money
  6. scale — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. capital — a city
  20. bat — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. scale — size or range
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. safe — a strongbox

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