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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rash — a series
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. patient — a sick person

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