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: kick · toast · sharp · mug · court · safe · race · tube

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mug — a face
  3. court — for sport
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. tube — a container
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. court — of a king
  9. toast — bread
  10. race — a contest
  11. court — of law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kick — in football
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. sharp — clever
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. race — the arms race

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