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: mate · safe · bound · chair · chest · ground · file · bulb

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ground — a position
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mate — to breed
  11. file — a document
  12. ground — the earth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — certain
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — a leader
  24. safe — a strongbox

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