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: racket · capital · temple · straw · band · mark · coach · march

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a ring
  10. march — the month
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mark — a trace
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. march — the month
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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