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: ball · wind · sharp · bay · roll · ruler · file · safe

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. file — a tool
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a document
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ball — a great time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a line of people
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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