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: bound · ruler · last · cold · temple · vault · present · net

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. vault — a safe
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — a gift
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bound — obliged
  7. last — finally
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. net — after costs
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. net — in sport
  16. last — final
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — the time now
  19. last — to go on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — there
  22. net — for catching
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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