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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tube — the underground
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bat — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bound — certain
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. date — the fruit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. court — of a king
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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