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: bat · foot · safe · game · band · mine · rule · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — wild animals
  8. band — a ring
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rule — government
  11. band — a music group
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rule — a law
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bat — the animal
  24. game — a match

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