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: mark · squash · row · rash · roll · plane · hand · coach

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — help
  5. mark — a grade
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — a tool
  12. roll — a list
  13. row — to paddle
  14. roll — a cake
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. squash — the sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — a line
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rash — hasty
  23. hand — part of the 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