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: rock · stock · fork · straw · safe · band · hide · suit

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — shares
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rock — a stone
  8. band — a ring
  9. rock — music
  10. stock — goods
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. band — a music group
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fork — in a road
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — to eat with

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