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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — a series
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rash — hasty

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