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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spring — a coil
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spring — the season
  11. spell — magic
  12. season — in sport
  13. last — to go on
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. last — final
  17. pitch — completely
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. season — of the year
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — finally
  24. lash — to lash out

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