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: lean · key · land · bay · coach · kid · shower · rash

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lean — to bend
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. shower — rain
  7. rash — a series
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. land — ground
  12. shower — to wash
  13. land — a country
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. key — in music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — thin
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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