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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — to bear
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pound — a weight
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mug — a face
  24. patient — a sick person

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