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 · hand · content · mine · bound · land · craft · stick

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — tied together
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — the amount
  15. hand — help
  16. land — to come down
  17. bound — certain
  18. craft — boats
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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