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: club · clip · capital · stick · foot · temple · drill · coach

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — a video
  5. capital — a city
  6. clip — to cut
  7. drill — a practice
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. club — for golf
  11. clip — for paper
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — army training
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. capital — money
  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