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 120 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: cold · firm · kid · rest · wound · root · last · safe

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. last — final
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. root — the cause
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — steady
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. root — of a word
  13. firm — a company
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a plant
  19. last — finally
  20. firm — decided
  21. kid — child
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cold — not warm
  24. last — to go on

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