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: coach · temple · bear · fork · kick · content

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. content — happy
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kick — in football
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. content — the amount
  18. fork — in a road

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