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 · game · safe · foot · wave · chest · content · perch

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — the fish
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chest — of your body
  8. content — the amount
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chest — a box
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — all right
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — out of danger

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