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 · straw · rush · swing · field · pop · arm · cabinet

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pop — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. swing — music
  16. field — a subject
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pop — soda
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — to visit
  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