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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kick — in football
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — farmland
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. field — a subject
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. leaves — lets stay

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