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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spring — of water
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pop — soda
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pop — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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