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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. court — for sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rash — a series
  8. court — of a king
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. court — of law
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. snap — to click
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — the animal

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