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: chip · jam · season · coach · temple · mug · bark · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mug — a cup
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. season — of the year
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. club — for dancing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a face
  14. chip — for betting
  15. club — a group
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — in sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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