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 · kid · game · mouse · deal · coach · spell · bass

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bass — low music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — a match
  13. spell — a short time
  14. deal — to handle
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rash — a series

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