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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spring — the season
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — of water
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — electric
  16. toast — bread
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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