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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. clip — a video
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hand — help
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lash — an eyelash

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