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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bat — for baseball

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