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: safe · object · ruler · cold · tube · court · mate · scale

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cold — an illness
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. scale — in music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — for sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — not warm
  22. object — to protest
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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