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: straw · leaves · band · row · bass · wave · court · safe

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of law
  4. band — a music group
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bass — the fish
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. court — of a king
  10. band — a ring
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. court — for sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — a line
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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