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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rash — a series
  3. season — of the year
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cell — a phone
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rash — hasty
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kid — child
  18. bank — of a river
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. season — to add flavour

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