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: face · rash · rush · land · swing · coach · toast · tear

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. face — to confront
  13. tear — from crying
  14. land — a country
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. face — to point toward
  17. toast — bread
  18. land — to come down
  19. rash — a series
  20. tear — to rip
  21. land — ground
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rash — hasty
  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