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: straw · capital · safe · pit · stand · fine · rush · scale

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. capital — money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stand — to bear
  6. scale — size or range
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. capital — a city
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fine — high quality
  20. scale — in music
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pit — in a race

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