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: bound · safe · degree · fall · jam · chair · race · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. degree — temperature
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — a contest
  9. bound — certain
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fall — the season
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. race — humankind
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bound — tied together
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chair — a leader

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