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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. content — the amount
  3. ground — the earth
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. content — happy
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. branch — a division
  18. ground — a position
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wound — an injury
  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