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: last · kick · band · safe · row · net · kid · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. last — to go on
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. last — final
  5. row — a line
  6. last — finally
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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