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: fan · band · coach · leaves · rash · fork · scale · dip

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rash — hasty
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. band — a music group
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. scale — in music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rash — a series
  22. scale — size or range
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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