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 · vault · clip · safe · pitch · swing · nail · game

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitch — completely
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — music
  7. game — a match
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. swing — in golf
  20. clip — a video
  21. vault — a safe
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. swing — to play on

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