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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — a series
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. current — happening now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chest — a box
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lash — to lash out
  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