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: leaves · stick · pop · wake · coach · rash · key · spell

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. key — the most important part
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. key — in music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pop — soda
  22. spell — magic
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — for a lock

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