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: cap · clip · chest · rock · safe · net · date · rest

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. net — for catching
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rest — a break
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chest — a box
  17. net — after costs
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. clip — to cut
  21. net — in sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. clip — a video
  24. date — on the calendar

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