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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · bank · straw · date · tube · clip

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — to cut
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bank — of a river
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — a video
  17. tube — a container
  18. date — on the calendar

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