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: rash · mate · firm · track · saw · safe · bowl · mine

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rash — a series
  3. track — a path
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — a partner
  10. track — a song
  11. mate — to breed
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — hasty
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. firm — steady
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mine — for digging
  22. firm — a company
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — an explosive

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