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: bat · drill · game · bound · bay · safe · fork · object

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — the tool
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. object — a thing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — certain
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. object — an aim
  20. drill — army training
  21. bat — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. object — to protest

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