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: wake · charge · bark · object · key · wind · safe · cell

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cell — in biology
  5. key — for a lock
  6. object — an aim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. object — to protest
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. key — in music

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