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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chest — a box
  6. mate — a friend
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — music
  18. lash — to lash out

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