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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stock — shares
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mark — a trace
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — goods
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. file — a document
  17. pass — a permit
  18. file — a tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a line of people

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