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: mate · clip · stand · mug · wind · sharp · safe · kid

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mug — a face
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mug — to rob
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. sharp — clever
  17. clip — a video
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. clip — to cut

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