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: ball · safe · bound · vault · branch · wake · lean · hand

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bound — certain
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — a division
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. hand — help
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bound — tied together

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