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 120 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 · cue · spring · fine · press · cell · file · dip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spring — a coil
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spring — of water
  8. fine — all right
  9. cue — a signal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. file — a tool
  12. cell — in biology
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. press — to push
  15. cell — a phone
  16. spring — the season
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. file — a document
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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