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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — to rip
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — a container
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rest — a break
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tear — from crying
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rash — a series

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