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 116 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: rash · coach · field · spell · current · chair

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — for sport
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. field — farmland
  6. spell — a short time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. field — a subject
  10. current — of water
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — electric
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. current — happening now
  18. rash — a series

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