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: mouse · race · coach · cabinet · spell · band · bowl · rash

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spell — letters
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. band — a music group
  14. race — a contest
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — magic
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a ring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spell — a short time
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bowl — a dish

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