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 120 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 · bound · game · can · wake · bore · cold · land

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — certain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. land — a country
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — obliged
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. safe — out of danger

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