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: perch · temple · drill · straw · game · net · chair · safe

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. net — in sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. drill — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. drill — a practice
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. net — for catching
  12. perch — the fish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. drill — army training
  16. net — after costs
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. temple — side of the head

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