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: rash · hand · mine · track · saw · coach · sharp · club

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rash — a series
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — a group
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. club — for golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — a song
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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