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: stand · tube · bound · safe · date · cap · fine · lie

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bound — tied together
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. tube — a container
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fine — all right
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bound — obliged
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — certain
  24. cap — a lid

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