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 · foot · wind · jam · mark · wound · bass · pit

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wind — moving air
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bass — the fish
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bass — low music
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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