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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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 — to lash out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. rest — a break
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pop — music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — to visit
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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