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: mine · stick · fall · game · safe · toast · chair · pit

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — bread
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — the season
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. game — a match
  24. mine — belonging to me

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