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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mate — to breed
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. present — there
  7. mate — a friend
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. band — a ring
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kid — child
  16. present — a gift
  17. kick — in football
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. band — a music group
  22. present — the time now
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. kid — to tease

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