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 120 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: safe · bat · wake · spring · pass · straw · file · sharp

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — a coil
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. spring — the season
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bat — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. file — a document
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. sharp — clever
  22. spring — of water
  23. file — a tool
  24. pass — a permit

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