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: temple · coach · bass · rest · rock · mate · branch · clip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rest — a break
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. clip — to cut
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. branch — a division
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — of a bank
  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