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: bore · wave · arm · sharp · safe · can · press · bay

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. press — to push
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. can — a tin
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. sharp — clever
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. press — a publisher
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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