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: clip · safe · patient · court · fork · cabinet · present · stock

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — a gift
  4. stock — shares
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — of law
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. clip — a video
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. present — the time now
  11. stock — goods
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. court — of a king
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — there
  20. court — for sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. clip — to cut

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