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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — the season
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. tube — a container
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ball — a great time
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spring — of water
  14. ball — a dance
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — the underground
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fan — a supporter

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