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 116 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: coach · rest · stem · rash · club · spring · file · pass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. club — a group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spring — of water
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — a break
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — the season
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — a coil
  23. club — for golf
  24. rash — hasty

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