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 · mark · season · mate · wound · leaves · rock · chest

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. season — in sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wound — an injury
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mate — a friend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — a trace
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mate — to breed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — of the year
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — a box
  22. rock — a stone
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chest — of your body

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