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 116 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: racket · perch · safe · field · press · race · sharp · calf

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. field — for sport
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. perch — the fish
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — newspapers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — to push
  17. field — a subject
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. field — farmland
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. press — a publisher

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