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: kid · last · firm · stand · wind · suit · safe · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. suit — clothes
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — a video
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kid — child
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — final
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. firm — decided
  14. last — finally
  15. kid — to tease
  16. last — to go on
  17. firm — a company
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stand — to bear
  23. suit — in cards
  24. safe — a strongbox

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