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: fall · cell · wave · can · deal · safe · mate · bat

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bat — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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