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: safe · bass · mate · date · hide · firm · wound · snap

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — a friend
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. snap — to click
  16. bass — low music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. firm — a company
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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