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: fan · safe · bat · tear · bulb · swing · lie · cold

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bat — the animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cold — not warm
  9. swing — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cold — an illness
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — to play on

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