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: land · cue · spell · hand · season · cap · safe · rush

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. land — to come down
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. land — ground
  7. hand — help
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spell — a short time
  17. land — a country
  18. cap — a hat
  19. spell — letters
  20. cap — a lid
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — for pool
  23. season — in sport
  24. cue — a signal

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