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: ground · wax · stick · snap · pound · current · rash · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. current — electric
  6. pound — a weight
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ground — crushed
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to click
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — of water
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ground — the earth
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — happening now
  24. rash — a series

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