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: row · wound · pitch · mine · nail · clip · safe · can

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — a line
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. clip — a video
  12. row — to paddle
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitch — completely
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. clip — to cut
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — for digging

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