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: board · safe · squash · mug · shower · tear · file · chip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — a committee
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mug — a cup
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. file — a document
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. chip — to eat
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — to crush
  16. tear — to rip
  17. board — to get on
  18. mug — a face
  19. shower — rain
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tear — from crying
  22. file — a tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. file — a line of people

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