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: bark · plane · rule · rash · cap · snap · chip · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — to shout
  16. plane — a tool
  17. snap — to click
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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