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: cabinet · racket · wax · band · straw · coach · temple · bat

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. band — a ring
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a music group
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. temple — side of the head

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