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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fall — the season
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — for sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — what's left
  12. row — to paddle
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — of law
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. row — a line
  19. squash — the sport
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. court — of a king
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. plane — in geometry

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