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: race · coach · date · hand · perch · season · temple · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — the arms race
  6. season — in sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. race — a contest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hand — in cards
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hand — help
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — humankind
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — of the year
  21. date — the fruit
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — on the calendar

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