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: kid · safe · jam · field · rock · stick · stand · game

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. field — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. field — a subject
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. field — farmland
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. game — a match
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kid — to tease
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kid — child
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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