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: band · dip · hide · rash · bark · mouse · coach · plane

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rash — hasty
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rash — a series
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. plane — a tool

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