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: bank · foot · degree · temple · key · season · wind · coach

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bank — for money
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. season — of the year
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. degree — an amount
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. foot — a measure
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. key — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — for a lock
  24. season — in sport

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