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 116 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: rush · coach · stem · rash · last · prune · shower · key

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. last — to go on
  6. rash — a series
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stem — to come from
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. last — finally
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. last — final
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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