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: bulb · mug · wake · shower · safe · cell · bay · hide

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cell — in biology
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — rain
  19. mug — a face
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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