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: chair · roll · wave · rule · pit · safe · mine · date

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rule — a law
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chair — a leader
  14. date — the fruit
  15. roll — a list
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rule — government

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