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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. kick — in football
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — in music
  18. ground — a position

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