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 116 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: object · mine · shower · season · safe · game · fine · press

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. shower — to wash
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fine — all right
  4. shower — rain
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. object — to protest
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. fine — high quality
  17. press — to push
  18. mine — for digging
  19. game — a match
  20. press — newspapers
  21. season — in sport
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. safe — out of danger
  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