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: temple · safe · present · stock · club · kid · roll · band

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. band — a ring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stock — goods
  6. club — a group
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. club — for golf
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — there
  11. kid — child
  12. present — the time now
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. present — a gift
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stock — shares
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. band — a music group
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. roll — a list

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