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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. date — the fruit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. march — music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wave — with your hand

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