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 120 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: temple · mate · tear · chair · fall · bound · capital · coach

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mate — a friend
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — certain
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fall — the season
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bound — obliged
  19. capital — a city
  20. chair — a leader
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. coach — a trainer

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