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: rash · coach · can · field · wake · race · current · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — a subject
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — a series
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. race — a contest
  9. rash — hasty
  10. field — farmland
  11. current — happening now
  12. field — for sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. current — electric
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. race — humankind
  20. can — to be able to
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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