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: wake · bay · safe · cap · foot · rush · chest · spring

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spring — the season
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wake — a trail
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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