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: snap · wake · cabinet · perch · file · stock · rule · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rule — government
  3. perch — the fish
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — a law
  9. stock — shares
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to click
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — goods
  19. file — a document
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. file — a tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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