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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. court — of law
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. court — of a king
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chest — of your body
  11. race — a contest
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chest — of your body
  14. race — humankind
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chest — a box
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. land — ground
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. court — for sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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