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 120 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: pass · safe · temple · deal · wind · band · cell · rash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — hasty
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. band — a ring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rash — a series
  23. deal — to handle
  24. safe — out of danger

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