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 120 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: field · charge · coach · season · band · snap · rash · hand

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rash — a series
  5. hand — in cards
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. band — a music group
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rash — hasty
  17. field — farmland
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a ring
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — in control
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to click

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