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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of law
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cold — not warm
  18. kick — in football
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a ring
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. face — to confront

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