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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chip — for betting
  7. clip — a video
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chest — a box
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — an aim
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chest — of your body

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