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 · hand · pit · mine · bore · fan · lean · bat

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bat — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pit — in a race
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — help

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