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: tear · hand · season · rash · vault · fork · coach · lean

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. season — in sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lean — thin
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. vault — a safe
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hand — help
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lean — to bend
  23. season — of the year
  24. tear — from crying

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