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: jam · chip · cell · safe · cabinet · lie · land · fan

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — a phone
  3. land — to come down
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — ground
  8. cell — in biology
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chip — for betting
  11. land — a country
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lie — to recline
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. jam — in traffic

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