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: ball · saw · present · patient · stock · wind · snap · safe

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — there
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. present — the time now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. present — a gift
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. snap — to click

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