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: bat · wave · wound · temple · safe · rush · pop · mark

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pop — music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pop — soda
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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