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

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — for catching
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal

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