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: safe · board · game · lean · bat · stick · date · kick

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — thin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lean — to bend
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. board — a committee
  9. bat — the animal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. kick — in football
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. game — a match
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. board — to get on
  23. bat — for baseball
  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