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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — low music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. field — farmland
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rush — hurry
  11. club — a group
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. club — for golf
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. shower — rain
  20. squash — to crush
  21. club — for dancing
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. racket — a loud noise

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