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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. game — a match
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cap — of ice
  6. date — the fruit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. drill — a practice
  13. key — for a lock
  14. drill — army training
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitch — completely
  20. key — in music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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