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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tear — to rip
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. scale — in music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tear — from crying
  21. track — a song
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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