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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pass — a permit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. shower — rain
  22. fine — all right
  23. band — a music group
  24. racket — for tennis

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