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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — a face
  3. snap — to click
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ground — a position
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pop — soda
  15. row — to paddle
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rock — music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pop — music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. row — a line

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