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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — help
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lean — thin

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