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: bound · straw · safe · snap · capital · chest · club · fan

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chest — a box
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. club — for golf
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bound — certain
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. club — for dancing
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — obliged
  23. snap — to click
  24. club — a group

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