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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — a city
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rash — hasty
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. squash — the sport

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