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: key · net · straw · rash · temple · ground · can · coach

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. key — in music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ground — a position
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. rash — a series
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — the earth
  19. key — for a lock
  20. net — in sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rash — hasty

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