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: lie · arm · game · firm · safe · cabinet · pitcher · pop

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — a match
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cabinet — ministers

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