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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — to crush
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a great time
  12. charge — a price
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ball — a dance
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bank — of a river

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