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: court · temple · wave · bat · rash · vault · safe · mine

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. court — of a king
  13. mine — for digging
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — for sport
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bat — in an idiom

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