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: chip · kid · safe · wake · fall · leaves · foot · sharp

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fall — the season
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. foot — a measure
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. leaves — of a tree

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