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: chest · charge · spell · coach · rash · pit · content · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. shower — to wash
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chest — a box
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — in control
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. content — the amount
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. charge — a price
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — magic
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. chest — of your body
  24. coach — a trainer

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