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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. firm — a company
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. clip — for paper
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — in a race
  14. clip — a video
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  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