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: straw · bay · chair · rock · bear · safe · chest · sharp

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. chair — a leader
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rock — music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bear — the animal

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