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: jam · rush · straw · wound · coach · temple · perch · land

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. land — a country
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — for a bird

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