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: hand · dip · coach · current · leaves · ball · rash · file

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. hand — in cards
  12. dip — to sink
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hand — help
  15. file — a tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. file — a document
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rash — hasty
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. file — a line of people
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — of water

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