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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cap — of ice
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cap — a lid
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — soda
  23. cap — a hat
  24. jam — in traffic

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