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: straw · perch · tube · patient · pound · pitch · temple · coach

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tube — the underground
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — a container

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