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 · coach · safe · bowl · bound · content · fine · lean

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lean — to bend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kick — in football
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — the amount
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — thin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bound — certain
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fine — high quality

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