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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — obliged
  3. march — the month
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. race — humankind
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bound — tied together
  14. march — music
  15. race — a contest
  16. march — the month
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bat — the animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — a young animal

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