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 116 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 · deal · bay · mine · hand · scale · cue · ground

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cue — for pool
  9. scale — in music
  10. hand — help
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — in cards
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mine — belonging to me

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