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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spring — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — hurry
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fall — the season
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. net — for catching
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — the sport

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