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: shower · lean · safe · suit · cell · bass · press · chest

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — thin
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chest — a box
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — to bend
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. suit — to fit
  12. press — to push
  13. suit — clothes
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — rain
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bass — low music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chest — of your body
  23. press — newspapers
  24. shower — to wash

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