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: roll · coach · land · cue · lash · row · season · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. season — in sport
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cue — for pool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. toast — bread
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — a hint
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. roll — a list
  18. row — to paddle
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. roll — a cake
  21. row — a line
  22. season — of the year
  23. cue — a signal
  24. land — ground

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