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: bound · last · jam · wake · row · game · safe · fine

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wake — a trail
  3. last — to go on
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. last — final
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — a match
  11. fine — all right
  12. last — finally
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bound — certain
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bound — obliged
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fine — high quality

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