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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — goods
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. object — a thing
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spell — magic
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. land — to come down
  9. spell — letters
  10. object — to protest
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bat — the animal
  14. land — a country
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. object — an aim
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — shares

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