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: clip · cue · game · chair · mate · race · safe · charge

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cue — a hint
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — a match
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mate — a friend
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. game — wild animals
  13. race — the arms race
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chair — a leader
  16. race — a contest
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mate — to breed
  19. clip — a video
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — a signal
  23. race — humankind
  24. charge — a price

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