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 124 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — a series
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. file — a tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — a safe
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kick — in football
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. shower — rain

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