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: net · bark · chip · lean · cabinet · safe · saw · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — thin
  5. chip — for betting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. net — in sport
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lean — to bend
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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