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: sharp · tube · safe · temple · wind · content · track · vault

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. vault — a safe
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — a path
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. sharp — clever

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