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: racket · rest · deal · coach · rush · rash · land · leaves

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rash — a series
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — to come down
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. land — ground
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rash — hasty
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rush — hurry
  24. land — a country

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