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: band · chip · lie · cap · staff · safe · tube · object

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. object — to protest
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. band — a ring
  6. chip — for betting
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. object — a thing
  13. band — a music group
  14. tube — the underground
  15. object — an aim
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — employees
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cap — a hat
  21. tube — a container
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — to eat
  24. safe — out of danger

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