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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. season — in sport
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. coach — a trainer

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