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: pitcher · game · last · tear · temple · safe · fan · jam

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. tear — from crying
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. last — finally
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. tear — to rip
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — final
  22. game — a match
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fan — a supporter

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