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: track · band · roll · rest · fan · rash · coach · game

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. rest — what's left
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. track — a path
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. band — a music group
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a ring
  16. track — a song
  17. game — wild animals
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a match
  23. rest — a break
  24. fan — to cool the air

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