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: tube · racket · saw · chair · safe · kick · clip · date

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. date — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — for paper
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. tube — the underground
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. saw — the tool
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tube — a container
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — a leader
  23. clip — a video
  24. kick — with a leg

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