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: safe · arm · lie · mate · mouse · spring · chair · sharp

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — of water
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chair — a leader
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — the season
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lie — to recline

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