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: band · safe · fan · chip · pitcher · fine · last · spring

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spring — the season
  9. last — to go on
  10. band — a music group
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. band — a ring
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chip — for betting
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spring — of water
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. last — final
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spring — a coil

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