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 · foot · tube · wake · track · calf · wound

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. track — a path
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tube — the underground
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tube — a container

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