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: safe · temple · fork · kick · last · pass · pitch · stem

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pass — a permit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stem — to come from
  11. kick — in football
  12. last — finally
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fork — in a road
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fork — a garden tool

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