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: swing · bound · vault · cold · jam · field · suit · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. field — a subject
  6. cold — not warm
  7. swing — music
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — farmland
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cold — an illness
  14. vault — a safe
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bound — tied together
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bound — certain
  19. swing — to play on
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. field — for sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bound — obliged
  24. safe — out of danger

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