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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. track — a path
  5. race — a contest
  6. track — to keep track
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. mug — a cup
  10. degree — from a university
  11. race — the arms race
  12. degree — temperature
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. track — a song
  15. fine — all right
  16. field — for sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. snap — to click
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mug — a face
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mug — to rob

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