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 120 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cold — not warm
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bound — certain
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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