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: bound · cue · wax · coach · temple · degree · swing · face

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cue — a hint
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. face — to confront
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. swing — in golf
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. degree — an amount

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