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: shower · date · toast · current · coach · drill · charge · rush

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. current — electric
  9. charge — a price
  10. current — happening now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. charge — in control
  14. current — of water
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — the tool
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rush — hurry
  21. drill — army training
  22. shower — rain
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. drill — a practice

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