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: file · rest · safe · bark · stand · tube · wound · lash

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. file — a tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. file — a document
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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