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: bore · root · coach · cell · stand · rash · calf · temple

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cell — a phone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rash — hasty
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bore — to drill
  15. root — of a word
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rash — a series
  24. temple — a place of worship

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