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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — a price
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — music
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. pop — soda
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bat — for baseball

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