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: cold · sharp · cue · safe · rule · rush · hide · date

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — an illness
  4. sharp — clever
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rule — government
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rush — hurry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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