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: snap · date · safe · band · spell · suit · game · pitcher

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a match
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — a short time
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — in cards
  13. snap — to click
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. game — wild animals
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. spell — magic
  20. band — a ring
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spell — letters
  24. band — a music group

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