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: wound · rest · race · bat · plane · stick · band · safe

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. race — humankind
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. race — a contest
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rest — a break
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bat — the animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a music group
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a ring
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wound — an injury

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