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: fine · last · lie · safe · pound · arm

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — all right
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. last — to go on
  6. lie — to recline
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. last — final
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. last — finally
  11. pound — a weight
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — high quality
  18. arm — a part of something

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