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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. swing — to play on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. swing — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — music
  12. march — the month
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. march — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. march — the month
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. spell — magic
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. wound — an injury
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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