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 · shower · nail · club · spell · sharp · rush · march

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — clever
  4. shower — to wash
  5. march — music
  6. club — a group
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spell — letters
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. spell — magic

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