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: nail · fork · pitcher · tube · safe · tear · wake · temple

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — a container
  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