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 120 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: trunk · band · safe · straw · staff · chair · hand · firm

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — decided
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. firm — a company
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. staff — a stick
  17. firm — steady
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a ring
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — a leader
  24. band — a music group

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