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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. firm — steady
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — an injury
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. current — electric
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. kid — child
  11. current — of water
  12. firm — decided
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spring — the season
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — happening now
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — a company

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