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: safe · hide · clip · spring · bay · tear · game · scale

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. clip — to cut
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spring — of water
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bay — a horse colour

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