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: cabinet · drill · row · safe · mine · swing · stick · rest

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a line
  4. swing — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mine — for digging
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rest — a break
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — in golf
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. swing — to play on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — army training
  23. row — to paddle
  24. drill — a practice

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