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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chest — a box
  4. net — after costs
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chest — of your body
  7. net — for catching
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. chest — of your body
  11. kid — to tease
  12. charge — a price
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — electricity
  16. net — in sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — for digging
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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