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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rock — music
  8. cold — not warm
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wound — an injury
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fine — all right
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lean — thin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cold — an illness

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