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: charge · shower · wound · kid · key · calf · arm · safe

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — child
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. shower — to wash
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. charge — in control
  12. shower — rain
  13. key — in music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — to tease
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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