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: mate · sharp · safe · temple · spring · bowl · cold · field

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — a subject
  7. spring — of water
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cold — an illness
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mate — to breed
  18. field — farmland
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mate — a friend

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