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: safe · bay · staff · capital · cold · firm · bank · net

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. net — after costs
  4. capital — money
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. net — for catching
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. firm — decided
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a city
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bank — for money
  14. cold — an illness
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — not warm
  20. firm — a company
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. capital — a big letter

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