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: fall · firm · tube · race · bat · season · mine · safe

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. season — of the year
  4. race — a contest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. bat — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — in sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. race — the arms race
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fall — the season

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