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: roll · hand · temple · track · chest · safe

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. roll — a list
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — a path
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — in cards
  15. track — a song
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. track — to keep track

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