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: can · perch · land · safe · bat · kick · bound · pitch

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bound — certain
  5. bat — the animal
  6. land — a country
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pitch — completely
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — a strongbox

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