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: can · safe · club · leaves · foot · deal · bat · ground

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. bat — the animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. club — a group
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ground — crushed
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ground — the earth
  22. club — for golf
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bat — in an idiom

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