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 116 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: wind · rule · safe · cue · bat · kid · season · bound

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bat — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cue — a signal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — certain
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. season — of the year
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — a law
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — in sport

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