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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — of water
  19. rash — a series
  20. roll — a list
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. roll — a cake
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bark — of a tree

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