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: toast · trunk · pitch · wound · perch · sharp · saw · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — completely
  5. toast — bread
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. perch — the fish
  16. sharp — clever
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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