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: dip · degree · cabinet · kick · safe · branch · mouse · bound

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — obliged
  13. degree — from a university
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. branch — a division
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. degree — an amount
  24. dip — a sauce

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