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 120 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: squash · game · stand · suit · craft · safe · file · cold

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cold — an illness
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. file — a tool
  7. game — a match
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stand — to bear
  14. game — wild animals
  15. file — a document
  16. cold — not warm
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. suit — in cards
  21. craft — a skill
  22. file — a line of people
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stand — for spectators

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