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: temple · row · fan · safe · season · hand · cold · ball

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. season — of the year
  4. ball — a dance
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — in cards
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. season — in sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — help
  11. row — to paddle
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — a line
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. row — a quarrel

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