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: bass · safe · hand · perch · leaves · drill · bound · kid

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bass — low music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — certain
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hand — help
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. bass — the fish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bound — obliged
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. drill — a practice
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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