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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. capital — a city
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. capital — money
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wax — to grow
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mouse — the animal
  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