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 · rush · current · spring · scale · date · cabinet · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. current — of water
  10. spring — of water
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. current — happening now
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. scale — in music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. date — the fruit
  23. spring — a coil
  24. tear — from crying

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