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: land · safe · can · press · bark · roll · kid · game

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. kid — to tease
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a list
  10. land — to come down
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. game — a match
  13. kid — child
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. game — wild animals
  19. roll — a cake
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — a tin

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