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: nail · safe · hide · rash · bulb · bat · can · key

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rash — a series
  13. key — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bat — the animal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — animal skin

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