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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mug — a face
  3. chest — a box
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — government
  6. shower — rain
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. march — music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. shower — to wash
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rule — a law
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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