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: rock · cell · degree · shower · coach · toast · racket · spell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. shower — to wash
  3. spell — a short time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. shower — rain
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rock — a stone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — a phone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — letters
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — magic
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rock — music

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