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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. content — the amount
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stock — goods
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to click
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. content — happy
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. kick — in football
  23. season — to add flavour
  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