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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a ring
  14. season — of the year
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. band — a music group
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. kid — child
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. nail — on a finger

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