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: stick · sharp · plane · bulb · safe · clip · field · racket

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — for paper
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. field — a subject
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. field — for sport
  13. clip — a video
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. plane — a tool
  24. field — farmland

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