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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. kid — to tease
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. tear — from crying
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bat — the animal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — bread
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. tear — to rip
  21. shower — rain
  22. kid — child
  23. tear — from crying
  24. shower — to wash

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