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: shower · stick · toast · season · coach · lash · fall · field

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — of the year
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fall — to drop
  8. shower — rain
  9. field — for sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fall — the season
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — in sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — bread
  24. shower — to wash

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