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: wake · mate · chest · tear · file · safe · cap · object

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — a box
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mate — a partner
  6. object — a thing
  7. file — a document
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. object — an aim
  18. cap — a hat
  19. object — to protest
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cap — of ice
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chest — of your body

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