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 · shower · press · bound · temple · rule · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — government
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — certain
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — a law
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — the arms race

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