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 116 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 · straw · last · pit · bass · mouse · hand · object

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. last — to go on
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hand — in cards
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. object — to protest
  9. bass — low music
  10. hand — help
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. last — final
  18. pit — a hole
  19. object — a thing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. object — an aim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mouse — for a computer

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